Hidden Memories of the Past
by Reidluver
Summary: /Book 3 of Kakashi Trilogy/ 'In front of him was a plain door, and there was a broken seal that ran along the edge. Realizing that he should open it, Naruto cautiously put his hand on the door and pushed, instantly enveloped in a bright white light.'
1. Chapter 1: Opening the Seal

**This is Book 3 of my Kakashi Trilogy. Book 1:** Abrupt Childhood **and Book 2:** The Truth **occur before this. Now, before you go and read them PLEASE read below, or you are going to be _VERY_ confused:**

**I started off with just **The Truth** because I felt that story needed to be told. Then people liked it so much and I started getting ideas so I wrote this one as a sequel. _Then_ I started thinking again and realized I wanted to cover Kakashi's life _before_ the timeline in **The Truth, **so Book 1 is in progress and Book 2 is finished, while this story (Book 3) is also in progress. Did I lose any of you? No? Good! **

**This might make more sense:**

Abrupt Childhood— Kakashi's childhood **(working on it)**

The Truth— Kyuubi attack **(DONE!)**

Hidden Memories of the Past— The first five years of Naruto's life with Kakashi raising him **(working on it)**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

Naruto was sitting at Kakashi's small apartment, drinking tea and having rice balls. It was a few days after he had learned about how his father was the Yondaime and Kakashi had taken care of him. His sensei had disappeared after he ran after him, demanding to see his real face, leaving Naruto to fume as he returned to his apartment.

For the two days following the revelation, Naruto had spent a lot of time on top of the Fourth Hokage's monumental head, mulling over everything his sensei had revealed to him.

He couldn't believe that the council had taken away the first five years of his life! Even if he wasn't allowed to be with Kakashi, he could at least known that there was someone who cared about him! He wouldn't have felt so alone and full of hatred at the village! If it weren't for Iruka, Naruto was sure he would have turned out like Gaara, unleashing all his anger at the village and not caring about anyone, because no one cared about him.

Quickly shaking off that thought, he gazed out at the village. He had grown to care about it, even if there were still some who didn't care about him. By now he had more people who liked him than he could count; something he was still unable to comprehend.

With a warm smile, Naruto looked down at his father's face. If his father had been a famous Hokage, then he was even more destined to become one! He giggled happily.

"Just watch dad!" he proclaimed loudly. "I'll become Hokage just like you and have my face up here!"

"Naruto, I think talking to yourself is a bad sign," Kakashi joked.

The blonde spun around to see his sensei sitting down comfortably across from him on Tsunade's face. In response, Naruto just pouted and stuck out his lower lip. Kakashi chuckled and joined him. Once he landed Naruto noticed that his sensei seemed exhausted, his eye appearing more lazy than usual.

"Oi, Kakashi-sensei," he said with a mischievous grin. "Why do you look so tired? Are you getting old? I've always known your hair is really white—"

The jounin growled. His hair color was always a popular topic of discussion. It was silver, not white! _Everyone_ in the Hatake clan had hair like this!

"Actually, Naruto, I was wondering if you would come to my house tonight? I have something to show you." Confused as to what he had for him, Naruto nodded.

"Um, is it about—" But he was already gone. Naruto sighed in dismay. He _hated_ it when his sensei did that. _Curse him and that transportation jutsu! _

Back in the present, Naruto was growing impatient. Kakashi had let him in, told him to sit down and enjoy dinner, and then left into another room and shut the door, saying he had to get something. Five minutes had passed and he was completely bored.

Finally his sensei entered the room again.

"Did you change your apartment Kakashi-sensei?" Clearly not expecting that question, the jounin shook his head slowly.

"Oh," Naruto said sadly. "I was thinking that if I saw where you lived I'd remember something from when I was younger."

Kakashi chuckled. "Well, the truth is that I didn't take care of you here. I took care of you in the apartment you currently live in."

Naruto frowned, and then erupted in a thousand questions at once. "Why didn't I remember anything? Why did you take care of me there? Will I ever remember what happened? Did they—" Kakashi held out his hands in a signal to stop.

"I am fully prepared to answer all your questions, but first we need to eat," he said calmly as he joined Naruto at the table.

"What do you mean, eat? I want to know _now!_" Naruto yelled excitedly, slightly bouncing up and down.

Kakashi smiled. "Both of us need some energy. You see, I have found out how to undo that memory seal, but it will result in you being unconscious for a few days as they all are replayed in your head. It also takes a lot of chakra from me."

There was silence for a few moments, and then Naruto exploded. "YES!" He punched the air and jumped to his feet, dancing around a little. While Kakashi simply stared at him with his fingers frozen on the rice ball he had begun to pick up, Naruto embraced him in the largest hug he'd ever received in his life, nearly suffocating him in the process.

Before Kakashi could react, Naruto let go of him and proceeded to dance around the apartment, moving from one spot to the next at such an incredible speed that Kakashi almost couldn't keep up.

"Now I'll finally know! I'll know what happened when I was little! Maybe I'll see someone really cool! I'll finally see what you look like without your mask—"

"NARTUO!" The blonde ceased jumping and turned to his sensei, who was trying his best not to smile.

"If you want me to remove it, then you need to hurry up and eat because—" Naruto immediatly pounced on his food and ate with such fury that Kakashi felt sick.

"Shew habn't ebin myet Kaishenshay!" Naruto pointed out, his mouth full of food. Kakashi sighed and brought the food up to his mouth, which disappeared once Naruto blinked.

Naruto rolled his eyes and then grabbed his cup to wash down all the food he rammed into his mouth.

A couple minutes later, Naruto was propped on Kakashi's bed while his sensei was busying gathering all his chakra. He had explained to his pupil that he could be on his bed because he would be reliving the bottled up memories for a couple days, and it would help if he were as comfortable as possible. Fully ready, Kakashi turned to Naruto.

"I don't know if this will hurt, but . . . " he shrugged his shoulders. Naruto simply nodded.

"Just do it."

Kakashi's hand ran through a flury of hand signs, so fast that Naruto wasn't able to interpret any of them. After waiting for what seemed to be an eternity, Kakashi put his right hand out to Naruto's forehead and yelled, "_Kai!_"

There was a bright flash of light, and Naruto slumped onto the bed, completely absorbed in his thoughts while Kakashi stumbled onto the floor.

He cursed silently; he knew the jutsu would take a lot of energy, he just didn't know it would take _this_ much! _At least it will make Naruto happy_, Kakashi thought with a smile before passing out.

Meanwhile, Naruto fell unceremoniously on his rear inside his mind. He gratefully noted that although he was greeted with the same familiar, orange sewage tunnels that he was nowhere near the Nine-Tailed Fox.

In front of his was a plain door, and there was a broken seal that ran along the edge. Realizing that he should open it, Naruto cautiously put his hand on the door and pushed, instantly enveloped in bright, white light.

* * *

**Well, there you have it! I was originally have it be a companion story, just starting off with Kakashi taking Naruto to his house, but then I thought it would be cooler if Naruto was able to remember everything.**


	2. Chapter 2: Playing Daddy

**My awesome reviewers are: **Lupanari, Uzumaki Hannah, Choki Latte, Dragon Mistress of the Heavens, NanakaYatsushiro, cardcaptor eternity, Hinata-chan15, Dragon Alchemist, CandyGirl999, Oblivion's Rein, mooneasterbunny, kakashifangrl1012, starlightscribe, Suifox, SongoftheDarquePhoenix, Nara-chan25, lioness78, Narutoboyluver, Hailey619, Kuromizu no Ariana, anbu10, Uzumaki Naruko14, ShadowChild of Death, Silver Phoenix7, Pance, theo darkstar, **and **Kyuubiplush. **28 reviews?! You guys are the best! Seriously, I luv you all!**

* * *

Kakashi walked through the streets of Konoha, ignoring the cruel grimaces of the villagers who made a point of making sure they were out of his way. _Did word really travel that fast?_ It was only three days since the Kyuubi attack, yet everyone seemed to know that Kakashi was currently in charge of the "demon" boy.

As he saw the hateful glares he had known all too well for most of his life, Kakashi resisted the urge to destroy what was left of his pathetic village and finish what the Kyuubi had started. No one seemed to care for the poor child. The temptation to tell them all that this was the Yondaime's own son was very strong but no one would believe him, despite the fact that they were completely similar in every way.

As he walked, Naruto just gazed up at him with those beautiful blue eyes, oblivious to the murderous looks all around him and Kakashi smiled in spite of himself.

"MY ETERNAL RIVAL! HOW ARE YOU?" Kakashi cringed. Gai was _very_ energetic, perhaps too much so, but he was one of the few whom Kakashi dared call a friend. He couldn't exactly call him a friend though; it was for his own good. All those whom Kakashi called "friend" ended up dead like Obito, Rin, and Minato-sensei. He was doing it for Gai's well-being, because he couldn't bear to have him die as well.

"What is it, Gai?" Kakashi swung around to see the flash of green spandex that halted in front of him. Gai was sporting a broken arm, various cuts and bruises, and a nasty black eye, but his smile appeared to not have faltered. It was as blinding as ever, which when viewed against the pallor of broken buildings was actually pleasing.

"I have heard that you are taking custody of the young child!" Kakashi nodded. "I just wanted to tell you that I am so proud of your partaking in the POWER OF YOUTH!" Gai then proceeded to strike his "good guy" pose that was quickly becoming his trademark. As if his clothes and hair weren't enough.

"If you don't mind, I would request the honor to help you in this endeavor! I shall make sure this child grows up very strong and full of the POWER OF YOUTH!" Kakashi inwardly flinched, _Why does he _always_ have to scream those words?_ He suddenly had a brief image of a young Minato frolicking in green spandex with Gai, making ridiculous poses and running around Konoha on both hands. Kakashi mentally shuddered.

Clearing his head, he said calmly, "That's very kind of you, Gai, my eternal rival," (he added the last bit for good measure), "but right now I have a meeting with the Sandaime, and I would appreciate some help _later_." Unfazed by his response, Gai grinned and turned his attention to the child. Naruto was staring with his mouth open at the strange figure before him.

"What is his name?" Gai asked quietly, holding his finger out to Naruto. _Gai was being . . . quiet?_

"Uh, Naruto." Gai smiled fondly then snapped his head to attention.

"I do hope your meeting goes well. I must return to assisting the reconstruction of the village." With that said, Gai turned and ran off in the direction he came.

Naruto let out a happy babble and Kakashi looked down at him. "He's a little strange, but really nice. You'll learn to like him."

* * *

Sarutobi sighed. There was so much paperwork to do, and so little time to do it. Not only did he have to fill out reports and assign missions at the regular pace of their village to keep up their image so neighboring countries would not attack them, but now there was all the damage caused by the Kyuubi that he had to take care of. He had almost forgotten about all the paperwork that Hokage entailed. It was not a pleasant thing to go back to, to say the least.

He was pulled out of his inner rantings by a loud rap on the door.

"Come in!" As he moved aside a large pile of documents to make his desk a little more suitable for conversation, he wondered who it could be. Everyone was out with assigned duties at the moment, and he didn't expect Kakashi to come for at least another hour. Or two.

"Hokage-sama? You called for me." The Third Hokage raised his eyebrows in shock.

"You're on time, Kakashi? I think little Naruto is having a positive effect on you!" The jounin scowled at the comment but held his tongue.

"Well, I called you here to give you some basic supplies you'll need for Naruto, as well as some personal belongings of Minato-sama that I'm sure he would want you and Naruto to have," Sarutobi said. He gestured to two large bags near the base of his desk.

Kakashi's mouth went dry and a large lump formed in the back of his throat. "Thank you, Hokage-sama," he said slowly. The young boy promptly made a clone of himself. "Take these to my apartment," he ordered. The clone nodded, bent down to pick them up, and disappeared.

Sarutobi examined the young jounin before him, full of concern for the boy. He had lost everyone important to him in such a short time. Minato was a second father to him, so now it was like he had lost his father _twice_. He held a special soft spot for Kakashi in his heart, just like with all the other orphaned and traumatized youth of the village. He tried his best to give a small amount of comfort to each and every one of them that he could, but it never felt like enough. Kakashi had always pushed him away, insisting that he be assigned more and more ANBU missions, as if he were trying to make himself as inhuman as possible to avoid the pain. Sarutobi's gaze then moved to the precious baby in Kakashi's arms, and realized with a pang of regret that he was going to have to make room for another. The old man didn't think his heart could hold out much longer.

"If you'd excuse me, I have a lot of paperwork to do," Sarutobi said heavily. "I hope you and Naruto have fun together," he added a little hopefully.

Kakashi just nodded before bowing and leaving the room.

The Third Hokage sighed and rubbed his temples. Why did he have a nagging feeling that the next couple of years were going to be full of trouble?

* * *

Kakashi carried the child to his apartment. There wasn't much because he barely spent any time in it. Kakashi sighed; he would have to get a larger apartment to properly raise the boy. _That might be best_, he figured. If people wanted to extract revenge on him or the Jinchuuriki, it would be better if they were somewhere no one would suspect.

The jounin sighed and carefully laid Naruto down on his futon, cushioning him with his pale blue sheets so he wouldn't fall and turned to his clone He was standing still in front of the bags he had brought back from Sarutobi's office. With a mumbled thank you, Kakashi dispelled the clone and began to peruse through the baby bag as soundlessly as he performed his duties on the battlefield. The last thing he needed was a squealing baby.

As he was examining a container marked "Powder" a crash from the nearby apartment sliced through the silence and woke Naruto. At his shriek Kakashi was so startled that he dropped the baby powder. It resulted in an explosion that enveloped everything within a three-foot radius, including the copy nin. Despite the fact that he was wearing his mask, he still ended up sputtering and tried to clear the air around him so he could breathe. Once the cloud had dissipated Kakashi yanked the mask off his face and brushed the powder off. He then turned around to see Naruto wailing and flailing his tiny feet.

Frightened that he might fall, Kakashi leapt to the futon in one bound, hands at the ready to catch him. Naruto's bright blue eyes shifted to the fifteen year old as thick, heavy tears dripped onto the sheets. While Kakashi stared at him, racking his brains for a way to silence him, Naruto's whimpering gradually slowed to a halt as he stared at Kakashi in wonder. As he examined the jounin the child began to smile and cooed in a way Kakashi could only interpret as a laugh.

"You think that's funny do you?" he asked, raising his eyebrow. As if he could understand him, Naruto began to laugh harder, kicking his feet happily.

Feeling it was appropriate to do so, Kakashi picked up the child, cradled him in his arms, and walked a few feet to his mirror.

His whole upper torso was dusted in the white scented powder. His usual silver hair was now pure white and his Hitai-ate was a lighter shade of blue. Naruto gaped at his reflection and tried to grab it. With a sound dangerously close to a chuckle, Kakashi brought Naruto close enough to the mirror to touch. With rapt fascination, Naruto placed both hands on the glass, and after discovering what it was like, happily began slapping the mirror.

Worried that he would hurt himself, Kakashi pulled Naruto away, then froze when he saw the teenager staring back at him. There was a smiling young boy with silver hair and pale skin. That person was not him. Kakashi fumbled with his mask as he frantically lifted it up over his mouth, hiding the child beneath and destroying the smile on his lips and in his eyes, reverting back to the cold and distant holes that had stared back at him for as long as he could remember.

He turned to face his sensei's child and noted that he was starting to fall asleep again. Kakashi narrowed his visible eye and frowned.

He was Hatake Kakashi—the great and renowned Copy Ninja, son of the White Fang, ANBU captain, and remaining heir to the Hatake clan. He had stared down numerous shinobi who would have sent a lesser man screaming in the other direction and had killed hundreds of others without a second thought.

So why was a newborn child able to break through his cold and murderous exterior so easily? Naruto had already done so before; was he going soft?

Realizing he didn't know the answer to that just yet, Kakashi carefully laid the child back on the bed, double-checking to make sure he didn't fall off, and then returned to unpacking the bag. He glanced at the other which was full of things from his late sensei, but assured himself that whatever was in there could wait. Possibly for a long time.

* * *

**I tried my best to do Gai, but he is really hard to do. I figured that he would be the other person to accept Naruto for who he was, especially due to his relationship with Lee. This was also my first experience with doing a lot with Sarutobi, and I hope I did him okay. Oh well, I tried my best.**


	3. Chapter 3: Painful Memories Resurfaced

**First off, the amazing reviewers! You know who you are: **lioness78, Suifox, theo darkstar, Pance, Kuromizu no Ariana, Uzumaki Hannah, shadow lupus, Dragon Alchemist, CandyGirl999, Nara-chan25, Silver Phoenix7, cardcaptor eternity, ShadowChild Of Death, NanakaYatsushiro, I'm a naruard/avatard, narutard/avatard/kingdom heart (2), catgirl9696, Gabwr, Kay-chan of the Leaf, Uzumaki Naruko14, ninbunny alchemist. Sanctus Espiritus, xDeidara-Yaoi-Luvrrx, Shadow Kitsune67, **and **avatard.

ninbunny alchemist** was the 50****th**** reviewer and gets a heart-shaped cookie!**

* * *

Naruto was shocked, to say the least. He had been waiting to see his sensei's true face ever since he had met him that magical day Team 7 was created, but he hadn't been expecting to see it so soon into the memory.

Kakashi was actually quite handsome, and Naruto knew that if he didn't wear the mask he would have a lot of girls trailing him. His features also gave off the impression that he was younger than the 15-year-old that he was. He wondered why he kept it on in the first place.

Naruto was snapped out of his daydream (_could it be considered a daydream when he was technically in a dream—of sorts?_) and was pulled back to the—present?—by the sharp outcry of his younger self. He chuckled as Kakashi shot up, half asleep and alert, holding a concealed kunai up to his face defensively, glancing around frantically for the sound. Kakashi blinked in confusion when he realized it was Naruto, wailing in the makeshift bed he had created out of an old box.

Kakashi threw his blanket off of himself and slowly got off his futon and crept towards Naruto, kunai held out just in case the cause of Naruto's outcry was still there. The child was wailing while sucking the air, as if he were searching for something. After a moment of reflection, Kakashi deduced that Naruto was hungry.

_But I just fed him a full bottle_ (he checked the clock on his wall) _three hours ago!_ However, the fact was undeniable now, so with a sigh Kakashi prepared a bottle as fast as possible. He had to make it while balancing Naruto in one hand to rock him slightly. The last thing he needed was for the neighbors to complain. Finally the bottle was warm enough and Kakashi stuffed it in the infant's mouth, the cries ceasing instantly as Naruto focused all his attention on the much needed meal.

Puzzled at the behavior of the offspring of his late sensei, Kakashi searched through the bag he had received from Sarutobi earlier and discovered a book entitled, Your Baby and You. It even had a cozy picture of a mother holding her sleeping child while the father had his arm around her as they stared at the child lovingly. While staring at the picture with disdain, Kakashi found himself thinking back to one of his earliest memories with his parents.

"_Kashi? Where are you?" a gentle voice called out. The response was a shriek of delight from the two-year-old boy who was doing his best to blend in with the blue curtains next to the couch. _

"_Where are you?" his mother called out again, directly in front of the almost concealed boy, pretending to look for him through the pillows. _

_Deciding this was his chance to strike, Kakashi unveiled himself and pounced on his mother. They rolled around on the ground._

"_My, my," Kasumi chuckled, pulling him into her lap and giving him a large hug. "You're getting better and better at hiding, my little shinobi." She had always called him that, ever since his father started teaching him the basics of shinobi training. She had agreed on the condition that he not handle any kunai until he was at least three. So Sakumo resorted to teaching his son how to control his chakra, such as performing simple jutsus to walking up trees and on water. Kakashi had proved to be a very advanced learner, so much that his father did his best to stall their lessons. _

_He and his wife were wary of their son's impressive intellect and skill, desiring that he not grow up too fast. Sakumo knew all too well the mental and emotional strain the life of a shinobi came with._

_What they didn't know was that during the day Kakashi would spend hours at the library, researching all kinds of information about the village, surrounding villages, and other random bits of information. In fact, he was practicing his concealment jutsus so he could sneak into classes at the academy and learn along with the children three years older than him._

_Suddenly the front door opened and a weary Sakumo entered, having returned from a week-long mission._

"_Father!" Kakashi squealed with delight He abandoned his mother and clung to the jounin's leg. "How was your mission? Did you get hurt? Did you kill anyone?"_

"_Kakashi!" his mother scolded, shaking a finger at him. "Don't ask your father such things! Besides, he's very tired." Kakashi pouted and let go of his father's leg before stepping back._

"_How are you sweetie?" Kasumi asked. She pulled down his mask and gave him a quick kiss while taking all the supplies from her exhausted husband._

_Sakumo sighed. "Just the regular routine. We ran into some shinobi from the Rock Village, but they were simple scouts. Nothing we couldn't handle." _

_Kakashi frowned and crossed his arms angrily, looking away from his parents._

"_What's wrong now, Kakashi?" his father asked with a tired sigh. The little boy just ignored the man and grunted. Not wanting to go through the trouble of dealing with his moody two-year-old, Sakumo glanced towards his wife and raised his eyebrows._

"_He wouldn't go to sleep until you returned so he could hear how your mission went," his wife whispered. Sakumo glanced back at the toddler, and noticed it was true. The young boy was starting to sway where he stood, and Sakumo realized that it was way past his bedtime._

"_All right," Sakumo sighed, unable to stop the grin from creeping onto his face. "Come here and I'll tell you about the mission." Kakashi's mood changed instantly and he jumped up and down with excitement. His father then collapsed on the couch only to be pounced on by his son. _

_He grunted from the pain but smiled at his son's exuberance, wrapping his arm around him and began to tell a dramatic story of how he and his squad began their escort/reconnaissance mission. They were later joined by Kasumi, who sat down so Kakashi was in between them. She wrapped her arms around Sakumo and rested her head on his shoulder, then started stroking Kakashi's hair. He was leaning against his father's chest and started to drowse off, despite the fact that he wanted to hear the rest of the story. Sakumo was beginning to fall asleep as well, and his voice became quieter and slower. _

_A few minutes later all three were asleep, content to be connected to each other in dreams and relish in the rare moments where they were all together. It would turn out to be one of the more happier moments of Kakashi's limited amount of time he spent with his parents._

Kakashi glanced at Naruto and saw that he was sound asleep with the remains of the baby formula sliding down his face. Kakashi shook his head, then gently wiped Naruto's face clean and laid him in his makeshift bed.

_Stop thinking about that. It brings nothing but pain,_ the boy chided himself, wiping away the tears that had fallen down his face. He glanced back at the book and then at Naruto and in one swift, angry moment tore off the cover and threw it across the room. Satisfied, he sat down on his bed and started to read the entire book. He didn't want to be caught off guard by the apparently strange behavior of babies, or to unknowingly put Naruto's life in danger. He had to be prepared.

Naruto was amazed at what had just occurred. He figured that although these memories were simply ones he had from when he was younger (the ones that were sealed away by the cursed council at any rate), that perhaps because Kakashi had been the one to unseal his memories; in turn, Naruto gained access to a little bit of what Kakashi was experiencing at the time as well.

_**So that must have been the White Fang that Chiyo-basama was talking about**_, he reasoned. _**What could have happened that would cause Kakashi-sensei to cry?**_ When he looked back on it, he didn't have a clue about what occurred in his sensei's past, only that he was a genius and became a chuunin and jounin at a really young age, as well as that he somehow received the sharingan eye. Naruto wondered if he would be able to find out more about the infamous copy ninja. He was eager to find out, yet at the same time he felt bad for intruding on personal memories. It wasn't like he was in control though, so there was no way he could refuse them.

* * *

Kakashi was in the middle of changing Naruto's diaper the next morning when there was a rambunctious knocking on his door. Making sure to first pull up his mask, a weary-eyed Kakashi finished up with Naruto and walked to the door with the child in his hands.

"MY ETERNAL—" Gai began, then noticing the child in his hands lowered his voice, "Rival! How glad I am to meet you on such a fine—" He paused when he noticed the fatigue evident in his friend's demeanor. "Are you all right?"

Kakashi shrugged. "It turns out that babies like to eat at very inconvenient times during the night."

"Really?" Gai was intrigued. "Very interesting. They must be so full of the power of youth that they need extra sustenance to make them big and strong!" He immediately struck a pose, causing Kakashi to roll an eye.

"Must be," he mumbled, not in the mood to disagree.

"Anyway, I have come over to assist you in your endeavor to take care of the child!" As if he understood, Naruto grinned and babbled at the strange man, causing tears of happiness to parade down the man's face.

"Sure." Kakashi found himself surprisingly grateful for Gai's offer. He was beginning to understand why Sarutobi had dismissed him from missions at the present time, because from what he had read, babies were a _lot_ of work. _Must be another reason why a husband and a wife are required to take care of children. _He wondered briefly if his father took a little time off from missions to take care of him, or if his mother was forced to do most of the work alone while her husband was busy fulfilling his duty to the village.

Naruto chuckled at the sight of a young Kakashi and Gai trying their best to get his younger self ready for the day. He had a feeling that Gai would play into his past somehow, seeing as how he never let a person's background or abilities interfere with his relationship with them. The only thing that was bothering Naruto was, if Gai seemed to care about him, then where was he all those years that he was treated like nothing, where no one seemed to care about what happened to him? He knew he was feeling bitter, but he had to know! Naruto sighed and figured that the answer would most likely be answered sooner or later, so he would just have to watch patiently and let history unfold.

* * *

A while later, Kakashi and Gai were wandering around the village, looking for supplies that would be required for a happy upbringing for Naruto He was currently bundled up in a warm blanket, safely tucked away in Kakashi's arm. Gai had suggested that he get a carrier like the one they had seen in the book, but Kakashi adamantly said no, not wanting to look ridiculous with a baby strapped to his chest or back. (The book said those devices were reversible)

Gai was content to carrying the purchases they made, while Kakashi held the list in his other hand. Both of them ignored the stares and glares of some of the villagers, with Kakashi having to keep himself in check and resist the urge to hurt everyone who whispered, pointed, or scowled at him. If it weren't for the fact that he was carrying a baby that was a few days old in his arm, he would probably do just that.

Now, it wasn't that he wasn't used to this kind of attention, having received it the first couple years preceding his father's death, but he could tolerate it occurring to him and used that anger as motivation for him to work harder so that he could restore his father's name. What irked him was the fact that a helpless baby was receiving the same treatment, and there was nothing that could be done. It was even more infuriating that the same people who mourned and praised their deceased Hokage turned around and treated his own son like trash, the one who had saved all their pathetic lives by merging with the demon.

"What do you have there, Kakashi?" a quiet voice inquired. The jounin glanced to his left.

"Just little Naruto, Itachi," he answered. The solemn Uchiha bent forward to get a better glance at the boy then gave his old ANBU leader a small smile.

"He's about the same age as my brother, Sasuke," he said fondly.

Naruto was fuming. _**If only I could attack him up right now! That would stop the Uchiha massacre, and then maybe Sasuke would have a family and not leave to go to Orochimaru!**_ However, he couldn't help but noticed how different Itachi looked. He was obviously younger, but his face was more relaxed, and he didn't appear to be the mass murderer that he was when he met him. _**What happened to make him who he is in my time?**_

"Maybe we can set up a play date," Kakashi suggested. "I'm sure they could become great friends."

Itachi scowled. "Chances are you wouldn't be able to get anywhere near the Uchiha compound with him. Our incompotent leaders seem to hate this child and don't want anything to do with him."

_**Well there's the Itachi I know.**_ Naruto was slightly disappointed to see that even then he appeared to have the same contempt in his persona. Was this was the beginning of his hatred towards his own clan?

The younger Kakashi appeared to notice it as well, because he furrowed his brow at the harsh tone. "Is everything all right, Itachi? I know you don't necessarily approve of the way the Uchiha handle things—"

Itachi waved him off. "It doesn't matter. I'm just tired from the last mission I returned from. I hope you are able to rejoin us soon," he added as he walked off.

Gai frowned as he watched the retreating form of the young boy. "I would be careful around him if I were you, Kakashi. He may be a genius, but he appears to have changed from the innocent boy at the academy we used to know. It would be best to keep an eye out for him."

Kakashi shrugged. "He seems to be just frustrated with the way his clan deals with things. Now that he's old enough to understand politics, he most likely has conflicting ideas and is learning that he has to deal with it despite his own feelings. He should get over it soon." Truth be told, he was a little worried about his friend. Itachi was one of the few people he could relate to, being naturally gifted and all, and was the only one who stood up for him when the rest of the Uchiha clan was furious at him for receiving Obito's sharingan eye.

He could understand the rage and reasoning behind it, but like he kept trying to tell them, it was Obito's dying wish and there was no way he would betray it.

"_But Obito wished it! He told Rin to specifically give it to me to replace my old one, as his present for me achieving jounin status!!" Kakashi pleaded. He was still weary from having to adjust to having his eye closed all the time and the chakra drains that resulted when he messed forgot. _

_The Uchiha would hear nothing of it. "Who cares what he said? From what you describe, he was half dead when he made the request! Who can say that he was in his right mind at that moment?"_

_Kakashi clenched his fists, fighting back the tears and tried to keep his voice steady. "It was his dying wish, and I will never betray my friends."_

_The main leader smirked spitefully. "Like father like son, eh? At least you didn't let your entire team die on this mission. It seems like you're not as much of a loser of a shinobi as your father as we thought."_

_Sarutobi grabbed Kakashi by the waist right before he was about to pounce on the Uchiha, a few tears trickling down his face that he was unable to stop. _How _dare they say that about his father! He didn't care if he were a lowly thirteen-year-old jounin and his opponent was a 40-year-old "precious" Uchiha. It was the perfect opportunity to practice his new jutsu on him. _

"_Now that's enough!" The Third Hokage ordered. If he knew that it would have progressed this far he wouldn't have allowed the Uchiha to speak. As he struggled with the squirming boy, something incredible happened. _

_A five-year-old Itachi stepped forward, glaring at the Uchiha officials and pointed a chastising finger at them. _

"_If any of you have a problem with Kakashi, then you'd better answer to me!" Despite his age, the anger in his voice and sheer authority that he demanded with it permeated the air. "If Obito, a great Uchiha who sacrificed his life for this village, deemed Kakashi worthy of receiving his newly awakened sharingan, then the least you could do is honor the wish of a fellow Uchiha and leave him alone!" He turned to his superior of eight years and gave him a slight smile and nod of the head, causing Kakashi to cease struggling and stare at him incredulously. _

_Itachi faced the elders again. "I will take it upon myself to teach Kakashi how to use the sharingan, since it is apparent that no one else will. I also take responsibility for what he will do with that knowledge, because I know that he would rather die than betray a fellow shinobi of this village." _

_Everyone present simply gaped at the young Uchiha, amazed with what had just transpired. Seeing that he made his point, Itachi began to walk away, calling for Kakashi to come follow him for his first day of training over his shoulder. The jounin hurried to obey. _

Itachi was true to his word, as was Kakashi. He treated the knowledge that his newfound friend bestowed upon him with great care, and would never divulge with anyone. The two had developed a strong friendship after that, even serving in ANBU together; the two Konoha prodigies.

He just hoped his friend would get better and not go down the road he seemed to be headed for.

* * *

**Phew! There we go! I hope you all are satisfied, and like the whole Itachi and family flashback. **ninbunny alchemist** had requested one, and I figured I might as well. I do feel as though he and Kakashi had some sort of friendship in their ANBU days.**

**Anyway, I am quite pleased with myself, this being my fifth update in ten days! I think that's an all new record for me, and I might be able to crank out another one next weekend. Hopefully this is a start to a new trend!**


	4. Chapter 4: The Hermit and the Rose

**Hello everyone! ****Four down, FOUR more to go!**

**My latest reviewers: **Lupanari. Gabwr, Uzumaki Naruko14, cardcaptor eternity, catgirl9696, ninbunny alchemist, Dead from beyond the grave, Dragon Mistress of the Heavens, CandyGirl999, Haruka-Hime, avatard, Hailey619, yo tadaiima, **and** Rika24.

**Oh, and **cardcaptor eternity** made a picture of Kakashi and his family, and as promised, here is the link! **

s199(dot)photobucket(dot)com/albums/aa241/cardcaptoreternity/?actionview(dot)kakashifamily(dot)jpg

* * *

Kakashi slowly made his way over to the memorial stone, the familiar sight welcoming him back. He had been taking care of Naruto for a month now, and hardly had any time for anything else. By now he had become quite an expert on Naruto's habits; he knew when he would get hungry (which he was pretty sure was at _far_ greater intervals than an average baby; he appeared to have his father's appetite), when he would get tired, and . . . other things. The youth still wasn't used to the whole "diaper" routine, and decided it was the most revolting task in the world. He swore Naruto would be the youngest potty-trained toddler, Kami help him.

Right now Naruto was sleeping at the new apartment Kakashi had purchased a few weeks ago. He had a bunshin keeping watch with 50 percent of his chakra. The jounin usually had use for only dust bunshins, but seeing as how Naruto was the most vulnerable person in the village he needed it. Normally, he didn't want to leave Naruto's side, but seeing as how he hadn't visited the memorial stone in a month, he felt he deserved a break.

"Hey there, Obito, Rin, sensei," he choked, sinking to his knees and glancing at the different names shining in the sunlight. "I brought you flowers, as way of saying I'm sorry for being gone for so long. Obito, a sunflower." (He placed it on the ground) "I don't know anything about your special flower, but I feel this describes you best."

"Minato, a marigold in remembrance of our teams first mission." He smiled briefly at the memory. They had just gotten to know each other and sensei had declared their first mission was to prune the weeds around one of the villagers precious and "Prize-Winning Marigolds." To make a long story short, Obito had accidently dug up some of them, and when Kakashi yelled at him for it, Obito threw them all in his face and a short scuffle broke out afterwards. Later on, whenever their sensei would tire of their bickering, Minato would present his two male students with a marigold, instructing them to use it as their weapon instead.

"Rin, a red rose to compliment your beauty and strong will," he whispered. He couldn't believe she was gone. They had said good-bye when the Kyuubi attacked, and he just recently learned of her passing.

* * *

_Kakashi carried an energetic Naruto in his arms. He was going to the hospital to check on Rin. She hadn't contacted him since the Kyuubi attack, which he attributed to the fact that maybe she was badly injured and needed rest. Kakashi hoped she already knew about their sensei's death, because he didn't think he was up to telling her himself._

_As he walked up to the counter, he spotted the 3__rd__ Hokage discussing something with the secretary._

"_Can you tell me where Rin's room is?" Kakashi asked. At that moment Naruto started fussing, distracting Kakashi from the look the nurse exchanged with the Sandaime. He leaned over and whispered something in her ear, to which she nodded and quickly got up._

"_Kakashi, I have something to tell you first," Sarutobi interrupted._

_Kakashi nodded, thinking it was another matter related to Naruto's upbringing. The jounin followed the Hokage into an empty room for privacy and adjusted Naruto in his arms._

"_May I?" Sarutobi asked, holding his hands out for Naruto. Kakashi nodded and placed the child delicately in his arms. The Hokage played with Naruto for a few moments, dangling his finger in front of his face, and tickled him slightly._

_A few minutes later, he sighed and closed his eyes for a second, as if he were about to disclose very distressing information. Kakashi's palms turned clammy, nervous about the Hokage's behavior._

"_Kakashi . . . there really isn't any other way for me to say this." He stared Kakashi straight in the eyes._

"_Rin is dead."_

_Kakashi just stared at the Hokage._

_"W-what?"_

"_Rin is dead, Kakashi."_

_Kakashi shook his head. "No . . . no—she can't be . . . she can't be!"_

"_Kakashi—" the Hokage began._

"_No! You're lying!" His voice grew louder. "There's no way she could be dead!" He began pacing the room and ran a finger through his hair in frustration, feeling cornered. _

"_It's not a lie, Kakashi," Sarutobi said forcefully, trying to calm Naruto down. "Rin is dead. She was tending to some fallen shinobi and one of the Kyuubi's tails came out of nowhere and threw her into a wall, killing her instantly. She didn't suffer," he added._

_Kakashi would hear none of it. "I_ promised _Obito that I would protect her! I PROMISED! __How can I face him now?" he wailed. "I'M THE ONLY ONE LEFT!"_

_Naruto kept crying, sensing the pain in his guardian's voice. The Hokage tried to calm him down once more then slowly opened the door to reveal a very subdued Gai waiting outside. _

"_Would you mind taking care of Naruto for a while? Here's a spare key to his apartment, which I think you should have in your pssession anyway." _

_Gai nodded solemnly and took the crying baby, rocking him back and forth gently. As he turned to leave, he glanced back to his sobbing friend._

"_Will he . . . be all right?" he asked. _

_Sarutobi sighed. "I don't know. He's lost too many people in too short a time. You are probably the only friend he has left. Be forewarned though, he will either reject you or become very close, but no matter how he acts, I'm sure he will consider you his greatest friend. Just hang in there, and I know one day he'll thank you for it."_

"_Yes, Hokage-sama."_

_Sarutobi locked the door behind him and walked over to the sobbing child who had drawn his knees together and was cradling his head on top of them._

" _. . . only one left . . . why did you leave me?" he muttered in between sobs._

_The third Hokage hesitated, knowing Kakashi of all people did not like to be touched. However, as he watched the poor child before him, he was filled with a fatherly need to comfort the boy._

_At first Kakashi tensed at the initial contact, then relented, allowing the Hokage to hold him in his arms and slowly pat his back. As they sat there, Sarutobi began to rethink the way they ran things. Here was a child who was taught to be an assassin at age five, and went into a war at thirteen years of age! Then he went on to serve as a member of ANBU for the past two years, seeing and doing things that almost stripped him of his humanity._

_At least the fact that he was crying at the moment was proof that he still had traces of a young child inside of him. But with the death of Rin, however, as well as the still recent death of his sensei who had become his second __father, Sarutobi wondered how this would affect his already crippled sanity._

_Perhaps taking care of Naruto was the best medicine for him._

* * *

It had been two weeks since he learned of her death, but he was better now. Gai had helped him out a lot for the first couple days, but now Kakashi had taken over and made sure to thank Gai. His friend smiled and told him not to mention it, making sure to tack on a comment about "The Power of Youth!"

Kakashi smiled faintly before focusing his attention back to the memorial stone.

"You all right, kid?" Kakashi hastily glanced up from the memorial stone and noticed Jiraiya standing there, looking solemn. The jounin shrugged, turning his attention back to the newly engraved names.

"I heard from Sarutobi that you're taking care of little Naruto," Jiraiya continued, only to get a nod from the boy. "I'm very proud of you for doing that," he said quietly, causing the jounin to look at him in surprise.

"I will do my best to visit as best I can, because I'm practically his grandfather!" Jiraiya chuckled. "Anyway, here's a present from me to you, something that your sensei always loved to read." With that the Sannin pulled forth a small book from under his tunic and handed it to Kakashi.

The fifteen-year-old examined it curiously. Icha Icha Paradise. "These are your pervy books," he realized aloud. Jiraiya appeared indignant.

"I'll have you know that these books are renowned all over the world! They are only worthy to be called a man's book, and seeing as how you have been endowed with fatherly duties, I figure that it's about time that you read them as well. Besides," Jiraiya added solemnly, "Minato enjoyed them."

Kakashi's eye widened as he realized what Jiraiya was trying to do. Of course, it was to introduce him to the "wonders" of the books he wrote, but at the same time, Jiraiya was providing him with a way to connect with the deceased Hokage.

"Thank you," he said quietly, turning to the first page. Jiraiya burst into a wide grin.

"'Atta boy!" he said proudly. "Now, how about you take me to see this little Naruto?"

* * *

"Is he a spitting image of his father?" Jiraiya asked boisterously, trying to lighten the mood as they made their way through the village.

Kakashi nodded. "He's got his father's appetite as well."

Jiraiya roared with laughter. Kakashi liked his laugh, fascinated by the ease at which he did it, and thought back on to when he first heard it. Minato had introduced them all to the Legendary Sannin after their first week of training, and Obito had made a funny comment. Kakashi had immediately lashed out at him (which he found himself regretting at every turn) but Jiraiya had burst out laughing, then teased Minato by telling them all about how he would always fight with his Hyuuga teammate, Yokuzu.

"When he gets a little older we should take him out to ramen!" Kakashi smirked and nodded his agreement.

"Here's the apartment," he announced as he opened the door. "We're home," he informed the bunshin. Suddenly there was a kunai to his throat and a hand to his back.

"Password?" a voice hissed.

"Minato." Kakashi had instructed his bunshin to do this to anyone who entered, even if they looked like him. The kunai left his throat and his bunshin came into view.

"Naruto should be waking up any moment now," he informed the original. The jounin nodded and released the bunshin, relieved with the return of all his chakra.

"He's in here," Kakashi said as he opened the door off to their left to reveal a medium-sized crib, which Jiraiya instantly recognized as the one he had seen Kushina and Minato purchase.

The Sannin watched as the ANBU captain picked up the tiny infant with as much care as one would an active bomb. Naruto whimpered softly but calmed down as Kakashi gently shushed him.

"Here he is," he said as he placed the child in Jiraiya's arms.

_He's sure got his father's hair,_ the Sannin noted immediately. "Are those from—"

"Yeah."

_Strange. Looks like merging with Kyuubi had outward side effects._

Baby Naruto let out a wide yawn and stretched, his back arching like a feline and arms extending towards the heavens. When he was done he slowly opened his eyes and gazed up at Jiraiya. The Sannin was shocked at how bright and blue his eyes were.

"You'll grow up to be quite the ladies man, just like your father," he chuckled, provoking a large grin from the infant. "Dear Kami! He even smiles like his old man!" Naruto only gurgled with delight, clapping his hands together.

"I'm your grandfather you know," Jiraiya choked. "Well—appointed grandfather, anyway." Naruto cocked his head and gazed at him in confusion, noticing the tears in his eyes, then, as if he understood, tried to make him feel better by tugging on his shirt.

"Fiesty little fella, aren't you?"

"I've caught him trying to turn over on his stomach and crawl before," Kakashi said.

"Trying to learn your father's jutsu already, are we?" Jiraiya chastised.

Kakashi watched patiently as Jiraiya played with Naruto, as lovingly and energetic as any father.

"Who else knows of his lineage?" Jiraiya asked the youth as they sat down for tea. He was also feeding Naruto his bottle.

"Only the Hokage and me. I think Gai might have figured it out, only because he's willing to look past the fact that he has the Kyuubi inside him. Other than that, everyone hates him," Kakashi said with disdain.

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. "I can understand why they'd feel that way initially, but they should realize he's just a child by now."

"I doubt it. This village is full of heartless bakas," Kakashi retorted vehemently. "A couple people were bold enough to paint the word 'Demon' on the door a few days ago. Took me an hour to get it all off."

Jiraiya shook his head sadly. "To think people from our village would do such things."

They sat in silence for a while watching Naruto gradually drift to sleep, snoring contentedly in his grandfather's arms.

After Jiraiya had put Naruto to sleep, he turned to say good-bye at the door.

"I'll should be back in a few weeks," he said solemnly. "If I weren't so busy I'd be more than willing to take him off your hands but . . . "

Kakashi shrugged. "I'm fine. I'm sure he'd enjoy every one of your future visits."

Jiraiya placed a firm hand on Kakashi's shoulders and crouched down so he could be eye level with the jounin.

"I know this has been a lot to ask from you, but I have a feeling you're the only one meant for this. Take care of him, protect him, teach him, and see what you can learn from him in return. Out of the mouths of children . . . "

"I understand. I swear my life on it." That was such a common phrase in ANBU. It was so engrained in their minds because _every_ mission put their life on the line.

"Here's the second book, in case I don't come back by the time you finish the first!" Jiraiya grinned pervertedly as he left the complex.

_Hentai_, Kakashi thought as he shook his head before shutting the door.

* * *

Naruto was aghast. _So Jiraiya did come see me!_ He was wondering when he'd make an appearance and was eager to see what would happen when he came to visit him other times. He decided to tell Jiraiya what he discovered the next time he came to the village.

Despite the joy he felt towards seeing Jiraiya, he was shocked at what happened to Kakashi. From the way he acted, it seemed like he was in love with Rin. Naruto couldn't imagine what he would do if Sakura ever died; he couldn't blame Kakashi for acting that way. Naruto just couldn't get over the shock of learning all these new facts about his sensei's past that he had no idea about! What else did he not know about?

The genin now found himself just as curious to find out more about his sensei's past alongside his own.


	5. Chapter 5: Meeting the Crew

**Phew, crazy, crazy, crazy! I'm not even going to bother giving you excuses and stuff, cause I know that's all annoying. I am sorry for the late update though.**

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**For those of you who don't know, I am doing a doujinshi of The Truth! Yay! You can access it from my deviantart account on my bio page. Right now only the cover is up, but my dad _promises_ that he will install the scanner to my computer sometime tomorrow so I can start scanning without having to bother him. I've already got the first page done, I just need to wait for him to install it. I'd do it already if I knew how, but sadly I'm not computer savvy. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

"Welcome to our new home, Naruto!" Kakashi announced excitedly, bursting through the door and adjusted the squirming (almost) two-month old baby in his arms so he could see. Baby Naruto stopped fidgeting and gazed at the new surroundings, momentarily awestruck at the change in scenery, but was easily bored and started whimpering. Kakashi sighed and quickly shut the door to what would be his apartment until Naruto was old enough to live on his own.

The new apartment wasn't that different from his own but still, the prospect of changing locations still had a certain thrill in it. He and his clones had spent all morning bringing the furniture and other essential items back and forth with the transportation jutsu (best to have as little people know of the switch as possible) while little Naruto was taking his morning nap. Considering the way he was struggling, Kakashi surmised that the little kid was hungry—again.

"You know, I don't know what I'm going to do with you," Kakashi chastised as he prepared a bottle for Naruto skillfully. He was now a pro at everything and generally had to do it one handed because until he was a year old, Kakashi was afraid that leaving Naruto alone for more than a few minutes at such a vulnerable age would be bad for him.

The jounin had taken his promise to the deceased Hokage—and his sensei—to heart. He was fully prepared to protect Naruto with his life. The resolute decision had stirred something inside of him that had been dead for years, and while it slightly unnerved him, Kakashi relished in the ability to feel that emotion again. He simply couldn't wait until Naruto was a little stronger so he could start training him, since the youth could tell Naruto wasn't going to have an easy upbringing, even with him there protecting him, so Naruto needed to be strong enough to protect himself.

An ever looming threat of being sent back out on missions too early frightened Kakashi. He knew the Sandaime would never do anything of the sort, but he wasn't too sure of the council. Kakashi knew for a fact that the Hokage was using all his power to stop the elders from simply ending Naruto's life then and there. Sarutobi confided in him a few days ago that he had to resort to the promise of the possibility of using Naruto for the village's own purpose, should the need arise, just to leave him alone. It was obvious the old man regretted it, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

But no need to dwell on unpleasantries. Now all Kakashi wanted to do was enjoy the brand new day. However, little did he know that today Naruto wouldn't be the only one receiving a surprise.

It was right after Naruto had finished his bottle that there was a loud rap on his door. Thinking it was Gai, Kakashi sighed, carefully laid Naruto in a little baby hamper, and opened the door.

"MY ETERNAL RIVAL! I BRING FRIENDS!" Sure enough, there was Gai in all his green spandex glory, but there was also—

"Asuma? Genma? Anko? Ibiki? Kurenai?" Kakashi was momentarily stunned at the flurry of people standing in front of his—Naruto's—apartment. It was obvious Gai had forced them here, but he couldn't tell why. It's not that they weren't friends, it's just that they weren't all together close. They were civil when they had to interact, but Kakashi preferred to be alone, and the others respected his request—that is, all except Gai of course.

The older Naruto was aghast at the scene before him. It was obvious who was who, but it was still enjoyable to see the jounin at the age he and the rest of his friends were at.

Asuma's hair was a little longer and he was wearing a large jacket like Kiba used to except it was unzipped. He also didn't appear to be smoking yet. Genma was sporting a smaller senbon needle in his mouth, had a regular Hitai-ate so that some of his brown hair flopped over it messily, and wore the standard shinobi pants with a long-sleeved green shirt and brown vest.

Anko still had her necklace that Naruto had seen her wear, but she did not have the trench coat. At this point in time she had long fishnet on her arms with a sleeveless purple shirt and wore high black boots with a small gray skirt. Ibiki only had one scar running diagonally across his face, and he still had hair! Granted, he still had his Hitai-ate that covered most of his head, but the older Naruto could still see some brown hair peeking out underneath. He was the more standard of the group, wearing his chuunin jacket underneath his black trench coat.

Kurenai's hair was shorter, and she wore a simple white shirt and red skirt, but her left leg had bandages down to her knee and her right arm was bandaged from the elbow to her hand.

"What are you doing here?" Kakashi asked.

"Thought we'd see the kid," Genma sighed, moving the senbon needle to the other side of his mouth.

"Yeah, and Kurenai's a sucker for little babies," Asuma teased, but his smirk soon disappeared as the female elbowed him hard in the chest.

"Can we come in?" Ibiki questioned, raising an eyebrow. Despite the absence of most of the scars he had, the older Naruto still felt slightly intimidated by the large man.

It appeared Kakashi was too.

"Of course, of course," he said nervously as he opened the door wider for them to enter, trying to suppress a shudder from the look Ibiki had given him. The teen was moving up in the ranks of interrogators, his ultimate goal to become a Tokubetsu Jounin specializing in—what else—interrogation. Oddly enough, Kakashi had been witness to the event that inspired Ibiki's dream.

* * *

_"How you holding up?" Kakashi asked dryly. _

_"Fine," Ibiki said as he turned to Kakashi, but winced at the effort. "You?"_

_"I've had worse." It wasn't a lie. _

_The two jounin had been captured by unknown enemy nin while they were trying to capture a simple scroll that the Hidden Mist Village said had been captured by a rogue shinobi. Just like Konoha, they were suffering from the onslaught of the Iwagakure, so they had to resort to asking for help. Desperately needing paying missions, Konoha was all too eager to oblige._

_The details of the mission identified it as a relatively easy assignment, so Sarutobi had sent Kakashi, Ibiki, and an experienced chuunin named Kisho to carry out the task. They easily apprehended the man, but it quickly turned into chaos. Kishohad been holding the prisoner as Kakashi and Ibiki examined the document briefly enough to confirm that it was what they were looking for, when the missing nin self-destructed, most likely from hidden exploding tags littering his body. _

_Kisho, being the closest to the explosion, died instantly, while Kakashi and Ibiki were gravely injured. They were soon captured by what appeared to be Mist nins and taken to an underground facility where they were tortured for information. Neither had talked yet, and it was obvious the enemy was frustrated. _

_The two jounin analyzed the situation and knew that they were being held captive by Rock nins who were simply wearing Hitai-ates they stole from dead Mist shinobi. It was most likely a ruse to spark distrust between the two villages because that would aid them in taking both of the villages down, but they didn't count on the two shinobi they had captured to be smart enough to see through their ploy._

_Kakashi was rather impressed at how well Ibiki was holding up, considering that it was obviously his first experience being captured and tortured for information. In fact, he was doing better than Kakashi did on his first time, but then again, Kakashi had only been seven at the time._

_"How do you put up with it?" Ibiki whispered after a particularly brutal beating session. Their captors had carved target signs into their skin (the kind that students at the academy aimed at from a distance to practice their aim) using kunai, and then punched and kicked the jounin in those very areas, as if they were practice dummies. One even had brass knuckles._

_"Find your happy place?" Kakashi answered sarcastically._

_Ibiki chuckled halfheartedly, but not too much because it hurt. "No really, how?"_

_"Well," (Kakashi shifted his position on the floor so they were facing each other) "Minato-sensei always taught me to focus on something that makes you happy, something to occupy your mind. He would always entertain me with stories about ramen and becoming Hokage while we waited, to give me something to think about when they came back later."_

_"Smart man," Ibiki gruffed, tugging on the shackles that held their arms above them. "Hope he fulfills that dream someday." In truth, the jounin was amazed at how well Minato seemed to cope with everything and still be able to smile the way he did, despite all the hardships and grief he had to deal with, even with being the renowned "Yellow Flash" as he was starting to be known as._

_"So, do we use these same types of tactics on those that we capture?" he continued after a few minutes of silence, curious in spite of himself, yet afraid of the answer._

_It took a little while for the boy to answer him, but he sighed and stared at the door. "Hai. We do, but not to this extent," he said quietly, as though he were ashamed of it._

_Ibiki snarled. True, it sure came in handy when it was benefiting their side, but now that he was on the receiving end of it, the process did seem a little inhumane. _

_"Can't say I really approve," he said angrily while Kakashi silently agreed. _

_"How else can we get what we need then?"_

_There was a slight pause as Ibiki tried to think, but then a cruel smile crept its way onto his face. _

_"Remember that time when Anko and I played that trick on my sensei?" he asked gleefully._

_Kakashi's eye widened at the memory._

_"You don't mean . . . "_

_Ibiki chuckled dangerously. "Oh yes, I think that would be a_ perfect _method to use."_

_"But . . . messing with their minds that way?"_

_The jounin gave him a look that clearly said, And you like this better?_

_Kakashi sighed in defeat but couldn't help the sinister smirk that emerged underneath his mask. "You know, you're sadistic."_

_"Why, thank you."_

* * *

"Awww, he's so adorable!" Kakashi's attention was brought back to the present by Kurenai's cries as she gently picked Naruto up.

"Told ya," Asuma smirked to the boys, and was thankfully spared from injury from Kurenai because she was holding the infant. Didn't stop Anko though.

"ITAI!" the jounin wined, rubbing the sore spot on his head.

"Serves you right," she smirked as she joined her female companion to gaze at the baby. While she didn't care to ogle him like Kurenai was doing, the kunoichi had to admit the little bundle of a baby was cute. She could tell he would grow up to be popular with the ladies.

"Little tyke doesn't look half bad," she admitted, rubbing his cheek gently while baby Naruto smiled up at her. "Sure can't wait to have some of my own some day," the kunoichi sighed dramatically while gazing at the boys and fluttering her eyelashes flirtatiously.

The four shinobi paled instantly, taking a small step away from the crazy woman, including Ibiki. It was a unanimous decision that woman was just too scary for words. Only Gai stayed where he was, oblivious to what Anko had referenced and took it as an admission of her acceptance to follow his way of life. He wasted no time.

"Anko! It truly makes me cry with the tears of a thousand passions to know that you have admitted to taken part in dreaming for children! I always knew that your heart burned with the POWER OF YOUTH!" As he had said this, he knelt down in front of Anko with tears running down his face.

"PUT A SOCK IN IT, TEME!" she yelled in return, kicking the teen square in the face, causing him to be thrown towards the other four boys, who simply stepped aside and let him pass through the still open doorway into the hall. It was his own fault, provoking her like that.

Naruto began crying, not that thrilled about all the yelling and screaming that was taking place so close to him. Kurenai tried to calm him down.

"Shh, shh, shh," she said soothingly. "It's okay Naruto, it's okay." When it didn't work she glared at Anko. "Now look what you've done!"

"Pfft, wasn't my fault—It was his!" Anko declared, gesturing at Gai who was still dazed from the impact.

When it became clear that Naruto was not going to be calmed down, Kakashi sighed and stepped forward.

"Here, let me take him," he offered. Wondering how a male (and _Kakashi _of all people) could do a better job than her, Kurenai placed the infant in his arms and folded her arms in a challenging stance.

"Don't worry, wittle Nawuto, it's okay," Kakashi cooed, bouncing the baby slightly in his arms as he began to walk around aimlessly. "It's all wight, Kakashi's here. There's nothing to be afwaid of."

And like magic, Naruto ceased crying and smiled at Kakashi before babbling incoherently. With a satisfied smirk, the jounin turned his attention back to his friends.

To say they were dumbfounded was an understatement. They were looking at Kakashi like he was another species of animal.

"W-what?" he stuttered.

As if that was the secret word, they all collapsed into hysterics, clinging onto each other for support as they were racked with uncontrollable laughter. Here was HatakeKakashi, the revered Copy Ninja, cooing to a tiny infant like a over dramatic mother! It was just too much for them to handle at the moment. Genma was laughing so hard the senbon fell out of his mouth! Even _Ibiki_ was having a hard time keeping a straight face!

Kakashi turned beet red as he realized what he had just done. He silently cursed Pakkun with all his might.

* * *

_It happened when Naruto was only two weeks old. Kakashi had decided that he was healthy enough to meet his ninkin, and wanted to show them all how accomplished he was at taking care of a baby, because they would never have believed him if he simply told them._

_"_Kyuchiyose no Jutsu!_" _

_"Yo," Pakkun greeted his master as the smoke disappeared, but then his eyes widened as he realized who he was holding in his hands. _

_"That Minato's brat?" he asked incredulously._

_Kakashi nodded proudly and knelt on the floor for all of them to see. Being well-trained and behaved dogs, they crowded around their master and kept their distance while sniffing and inspecting the young baby. Naruto was incredibly pleased and stared at all of them with rapt interest. _

_"Sure looks like him," Pakkun said fondly, leaning in for a closer look. _

_Naruto was startled by the fact that a dog was talking just like Kakashi was, and started to wail. Kakashi sighed and grabbed a bottle, but strangely enough it didn't appease the child. Slightly panicked, Kakashi ran a mental check-list of anything that could be bothering him. _Let's see . . . he just ate . . . just woke up from a long nap . . . I finished changing his diaper . . . what in Kami's name is it?!

_He gave up and turned to Pakkun for help. "Any ideas?" he pleaded. _

_The pug was thoughtful for a moment, then grinned. "You've got to do it this way—" (he paused dramatically) "It's alwight Nawuto! Don't be afwaid," he cooed in a high pitched voice. Naruto calmed down slightly, but it didn't work for long._

_Kakashi almost dropped the baby. __"No!" he said adamantly. "NO! There is no way I'm going to do that! No way in he—" At this point Naruto wailed even harder, and Kakashi did not want to upset the neighbors. All his ninkin smirked at him expectantly._

_"Fine," he mumbled. The jounin gulped and bit his lip before saying, "It's . . . al—wight . . . Nawu—to. Don't . . . don't be af—afwaid." _

_Naruto calmed down at the attempt, but was still crying. _

_"Kakashi," Pakkun warned, trying to not laugh. _

_"All right!" Mentally cursing everything he could think of, Kakashi tried again, making sure to sound somewhat like Pakkun. _

_"It's alwight Nawuto. Don't be afwaid. Kakashi's here," he added for good measure while rocking him gently. To his surprise Naruto began to calm down more until he looked like he hadn't been crying at all, and he made a grab for Kakashi's face. Not that it mattered, for Kakashi had learned to not wear his mask around the infant after the first week, so it didn't bother him as much as it would have. _

_Pakkun smirked up at him. "And _that_ is how you take care of a screaming baby."_

_Kakashi glared at all his ninken. "Not—A—Word." _

* * *

If Kakashi could see the older Naruto beside him, he would be even more embarrassed and frustrated, because his soon to be student was currently on the floor, doubled over in pain as he clutched his stomach, overcome by laughter. He would have never thought in a million years that he would have seen something _this_ good! **Sakura-chan and Sasuke would get a kick out of this!** he concluded.

Right now the jounin was currently glaring at his friends, anger growing by the minute. After what seemed like hours did they finally stop, some even wiping tears out of their eyes.

"So, did you come to pick fun at me or what?" the silver-haired jounin asked in annoyance.

"Aww, you're such a baby," Anko chided.

"Apparently he talks like one now," Genma chuckled.

"Anyway, back to business," Ibiki said, taking charge. "We're here because Hokage-sama has informed us that once Naruto is older and you are sent out on missions by order of the council, we are the only potential candidates to watch him while you'll be away."

"He figures it's best if we come and interact with the kid every so often, just to make sure he knows our face and is able to trust us when you leave," Asuma finished.

"Really?" Kakashi had never even considered the thought of who would watch Naruto when he was gone, but surmised that this was the smartest move. "Do you guys agree?"

There was a brief silence for a moment as everyone seemed to be distracted by something momentarily, and Kakashi understood their hesitation.

"He's not the Kyuubi you know," the jounin hissed under his breath, not willing to handle the prejudice from his own . . . friends.

"We know that!" Anko said harshly.

"It's just that . . . well . . . it's so soon," Kurenai answered truthfully.

"We still want to try though," Asuma said.

"We understand the way the villagers will treat him, and we don't want to be blinded by that same prejudice, so we accepted the job," Genma informed him.

"We've already seen what that can do from this past war," Ibiki threw in.

"WE WANT TO HELP!" Gai intervened, giving Kakashi a thumbs-up sign. Baby Naruto clapped his hands excitedly, trying to fit in with everyone.

Kakashi smiled warmly, grateful for the help. _It's going to take a little bit of work, Naruto, but you'll see._

_They'll all see._

* * *

**Ah, tormenting Kakashi. Isn't it fun? I hope I did a good job with the others, because although I'd like them to be like Gai and Kakashi, they're human, so they have some faults. But I do know that they are good enough people to want to try! Just think about the future when toddler Naruto goes over to stay at Anko's house. Or Ibiki's. -evil smirk-**


End file.
